Redskins Notebook

By Christine BrennanBy Christine BrennanAugust 12, 1985

After Washington Redskins quarterbacks Joe Theismann and Jay Schroeder got their chance to play in Saturday night's 17-14 preseason victory over Atlanta, it was left to Babe Laufenberg to come in and mop up.

Laufenberg, who seems to have dropped well behind Schroeder in their battle to become the Redskins' No. 2 quarterback, completed only one of the five passes he threw for six yards and was on the run during most of the four series he played.

"I guess momentum had swung (to Atlanta) at that point in the game, but it shouldn't have mattered," Laufenberg said. "The Falcons were just blitzing and blitzing. It was a tough situation."

Laufenberg said he really couldn't evaluate his performance.

"It was not a good test for me, but you're put in situations you have to deal with," he said. "You always want to play more."

If any Redskin entered the game on a roll, it was kicker Tony Zendejas. His six-for-six field goal performance in an Aug. 3 scrimmage was almost too good to be true.

And, with Mark Moseley nursing a sore right thigh, he got most of the work in practice last week.

But their fortunes twisted in the heavy Atlanta air. Both missed field goals -- Moseley's was 39 yards, Zendejas' 43 -- but Moseley also made one (35 yards).

Zendejas was disappointed. "When he missed his, I could tell, he didn't get a good hit," Zendejas said. "Mine? I just came around too quickly. It always bothers you when you miss, but you try and forget it."

Asked if he thought he allowed Moseley to come back into a draw with him, he said he didn't know, and then changed the subject to his three kickoffs in the game, two of which reached the end zone, all of which hung high and long.

"I was real satisfied with those. I'm very happy with the way I did the kickoffs."

Defensive tackle Dave Butz, a former holdout, drove up at Dickinson College yesterday afternoon as expected and will practice today . . . Wide receiver Gary Clark, formerly of the U.S. Football League, has proved he is a two-way threat. He caught three passes for 43 yards and also returned two punts for 20. Rookie Jamie Harris fielded three punts, but fumbled one . . . The first offensive line replacements were rookie guard Raleigh McKenzie and veteran tackle George Starke. They entered the game early in the second quarter . . . Former Redskin Joe Washington, now playing for Atlanta, carried the ball once for six yards and threw an incompletion on a halfback option pass Saturday night.